Flexible steam-conduit



(No Model.)

M. P. MOLAUGHLIN. FLEXIBLE STEAM GONDUIT.

No. 575,831. Patented Jan. 26, 189 7.

W s] e: 552:5: J. er A mw MILTON P. MCLAUGHLIN, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAM SIMONDS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FLEXIBLE STEAM-CO N DU IT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 575,831, dated January 26, 1897.

Application filed April 16,1896. Serial No. 587,774. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: tion,where it passes through the packing-nut, Be it known that I, MILTON P. MCLAUGHLIN, and is enlarged at hi the reduced portion formof Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and ing a chamber within the packing-nut for an State of Massachusetts, have invented certain annular packing The larger lower end 5 new and useful Improvements in Flexible ofthe section 72. closely fits the interior of the Steam-Conduits, of which the following is a socket j, said socket being adapted to turn specification. and move endwise upon the section h.

This invention relates to conductors for It represents an elbow rigidly secured to the steam taken from a locomotive-engine to the lower end of the socketj by a nipple is. To 10 cars for heating purposes; and it has for its the elbow 7c is secured, by means of a nipple object to provide a metallic conductor con- 7c, a socket m, in which is fitted to turn and structed to neutralize the independent momove endwise a pipe-section n, which is held tions of the tender and the car to which it is in said section by means of a packing-nut 0 connected and adapted to be kept tight by and a packing 0', confined by said nut in an 15 the steam-pressure in the conduit. annular chamber formed between the reduced The invention consistsin the improved conportion of the section at and the interior of struction which I will now proceed to describe the socket on. The sect-ion a may be conand claim. nected in any suitable way with a pipe or 0011- Of the accompanying drawings, forming a duit on the forward car of the train. 20 part of this specification, Figure 1 represents It will be seen that the described flexible a side elevation of a portion of a locomotiveconduit provides for the following motions of tender and my improved flexible conduct-or the socket n, namely, first, an oscillating moconnected therewith. Fig. 2 represents a section, of which the socket c and section f are tion on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking toward the the center, said motion being in a vertical 25 right. Fig. 3 represents atop view of the conplane, as indicated in Fig. 2, and, secondly, struction shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 repan oscillating motion, of which the section h resents a section on line 4 4; of Fig. 3. and socket j are the center, the last-men- The same letters of reference indicate the tioned motion being in a horizontal plane, as same parts in all the figures. indicated in Fig. 3. These two movements 0 In the drawings, a represents a fixed pipeare sufficient to compensate for all the indesection attached to a locomotive-tender h and pendent movements of the tender and the suitably connected with a source of steamadjacent car. The packing-nuts eand 'L' and supply. the packings inclosed thereby are arranged 0 represents a socket rigidly secured by a to maintain tight joints at the centers of oscil- 3 5 coupling cl to the section a and having at its lation.

outer end afianged packing-nut e, which holds The packings e, 'i, and o are of non-expanan annular packing 6 within the socket c. sible material, such as hard rubber, and therefrepresents apipe-section fitted to turn and fore there is no lateral expansion thereof move endwise in the socket c, said section fitagainst the inner Walls of the inclosing sock- 9o 40 ting closely the interior of the socket for a ets. As a result there is little resistance to portion of its length and being reduced at f the swiveling motion of the parts, and con to form a chamber for the packing e and a sequently no wear of the packings except at shoulder to bear against one end thereof, the their ends, where they are squared off to abut smaller end of the section f projecting from against the shoulders and packing nuts.

5 the nut e. Therefore the original thickness of the pack- 9 represents an elbow affixed rigidly to the ings is preserved until they are practically outer end of the section f and connecting the worn out. same rigidly with a vertical section h, which It will also be seen that the sections f and passes through a packing-nut 2', secured upon 7L and elbow g constitute an L-shaped or an- I00 50 the upper end of a vertical socket j. The secgular conduit-section having an oscillating tion h is reduced in diameter at its upper pormovement on a horizontal axis, and that the sockets m. and the connecting devices it 7.;' 7J constitute another L-shaped or an gular section having an oscillating movement on a vertical axis, the two angular sections constitutinga simple, durable, and flexible or jointed conduit.

It will also be seen that the conduit is composed of a series of telescopic portions, the members of one being the socket c and pipe 1'', the members of another being the soeketj and pipe 71, while the members of the third are the socket m and pipe 0. The flange of the packing-nut constitutes a packing-abut ment on one member, while the shoulder on the internal member constitutes another packing-abutment. The freedom of the pipeseetionsf, 71, and a to move endwisc in the sockets c, j, and m and the said packingabutments bearing on the ends of the packings or gaskets e, t", and 0 enable the steampressure to set the joints and keep them tight, said pressure acting continuously to elongate the said telescopic portions and exert endwise compressive pressure on the said packings, so that the joints are kept tight wholly by steanrpressure until said packing-s are worn out. Hence they require no attention or adjustment while they are in use.

The construction described also prevents undue strain at the joints when the car and tender move relatively to each other without the necessity heretofore existing of a great number of joints and horizontal lateral sec tions. The two horizontal telescopic portions of the conduit permit of or take up motion. of the car and tender directly toward each other, while the single straight intermediate telescopic portion allows one of the connected parts to move relatively to the other in a vertical direction, and the oscillatory or lateral movement of one of the connected parts relatively to the other is permitted by the swivel connections above described.

I claim-- 1. A flexible steanrconduit composed of a series of telescopic portions, and elbows connecting the same in an angular series, each telescopic portion comprising an external socket member having a packingabutment, an internal pipe member having a packingabutment, one member being rotatable and movable endwise relatively to the other, and a non-expansible packing-rin g interposed between said abutments and sustaii'lingthe endwise pressure exerted by the steam in the conduit.

2. A flexible steam-conduit comprising two telescopic end portions extending substan tially parallel with each other, one of said portions bein out of alinement with the other, an intermediate telescopic portion extending at an angle with said end portions and directly connecting them, and elbows connecting the said intermediate and end portions, each telescopic portion comprising an external member or socket having a packing-nut at one end, an internal or pipe member fitted to turn and move endwisc in said external member and provided with a shoulder, and a nonrexpansible packing-ring interposed be tween the said nut and shoulder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of April, A. D. 1896.

MILTON P. MCLAUGIILIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN IlUNNEWELL, ARTHUR I. PLAISTED. 

